Over The Horizon

Sniffing Out Moths

Landcare Research scientists have been sniffing out whether an environmentally useful biocontrol agent has successfully established in New Zealand.

The gorse soft shoot moth (Agonopterix ulicetella Stainton), released by Landcare Research in mid-Canterbury in 1997, is a useful agent against gorse as the moth caterpillars eat gorse shoots. It has already proved its worth as a successful biocontrol agent in Hawaii. But until recently there was no practical means of detecting if the moth had established here.

HortResearch insect scientist Max Suckling and his team undertook to identify a sex attractant to use in insect pheromone sticky traps. First time round they caught 10 moths.

"By getting the moths to come to us we were able to prove that they had successfully established," Suckling says.

HortResearch designed the lures and contacted a Hungarian researcher to make a wide range of possible attractants. These were sent to Hawaii where USDA researchers tested them, and the 10 most successful lures were then tested in Canterbury.

The Landcare Research gorse biocontrol programme is co-operative between most regional councils, several forestry companies and DOC.

The CRI plans to deploy pheromone traps at 50 sites throughout New Zealand where the gorse soft shoot moth has been released, but where it has beenunclear if it has established.